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Trust Jesus' reach

Pastor's corner

“On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said ‘Peace be with you.’” (John 20:19)

Do you understand the door was locked when Jesus entered the room? He didn’t knock to have someone open it. He didn’t yell out “Hey, this is Jesus, will someone please let me in?” He simply walked through the closed door! I desperately want you to know there is nothing in your life that Jesus can’t reach. There’s not a sickness, emotional scar, addiction, relationship issue or any other difficulty Jesus can’t get into. The places that doctors, friends, family, husbands and wives can’t fix or understand are familiar places to Jesus.Watch as Jesus doesn’t stand outside the door, yelling at the disciples to “fear not.” He walks through that closed door and involves himself in the middle of their circumstance. He came and “stood among them.” Jesus is not a God who stands on the fringes of our lives, giving us direction from afar. He’s the God who involves himself intimately in our situations, giving us the power to overcome all things in Jesus’ name! The tomb is empty, meaning Jesus is alive and well. Through His spirit, He is walking, talking and living with His people!We celebrate the risen Christ, but I sometimes wonder how much of our living gives credence to the very thing we celebrate. If we believe that Jesus can reach into any situation, why do we live in such doubt? If we believe that Jesus has authority over all things, why do we so quickly bow our knee in fear? How we live our lives is a reflection of deep, abiding beliefs. Are you living the way you say you believe? Because saying and living are very different. If the words we speak and the way we live aren’t mirror images, we might need to check what we really believe.

Darsey is the pastor of Restoration Church and a member of the United Ministerial Alliance.